Nautical instrument.



G. KOFFS-KEY.

NAUTICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-5.1916 RENEWED OCT. 2.191?- 1,245,355. PatentedNov. 6, 1917,

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES INVENTOR JA Wm wr yew;

" I ATTORNEYS G. KOFFSKEY.

NAUTICAL INSTRUMENT. I r APPLICATION HLED AUG-5|19l5- RENEWED OCT-2,1911- 1,245,355. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS$HEET 2- WITNESSES INYENTOR v Br ATTORNEYS GEORGE KOFFSKEY, OFNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

NAUTICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed August 5, 1916, Serial No. 113,258.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, GEORGE KorrsKnY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented anew and Improved Nautical Instrument, of

vide an instrument b Y which. the sun 'ives the position of theinstrument at any hour of the day, consequently the position of a vesselat sea may be determined, the determination of the exact locationdepending on the accuracy of the elements constituting the device.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will morefully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel construct-ion, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinfully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation of the instrument, the handplate not being shown;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation without the end plate;

Fig. 4. is a top view of the instrument the hand plate being shown inuse; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55, Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, 6 and 7 are two plates forming circularsectors hinged on their radial line through the medium of a bolt 8. Theend of the bolt extends from a carrier or support 9,.in the shape of aplate, having two portions and 11 offset from each other lying inparallel planes and both disposed at right angles to the bolt 8 on whichthe plates 6 and 7 are hinged. The reason for offset-ting one-portion ofthe plane from the other is to ac commodate the larger sector'formed bythe p1ate7.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Renewed October 2, 1917. Serial No. 194,413.

The plates 6 and 7 have an enlargement 12 at the end bearing against thecoresponding portions of the support 9. The portion 10 of the support 9has a circular slot 13 in register with the enlargement 12 of the plate6, the center of which slot is in the axis of the bolt 8. The portion 11of the support 9 has also a circular slot 13 in register with theenlargement 12 of the plate 7, the center of which slot is in the axisof the bolt 8. The portions 10 and 11 of the support 9 are eachgraduated along their slots, the Zero of each lying in a commonplanepassing through the axis of the hinge. The divisions of said scales aresuch as to read to 30 of an are. A Vernier 13 is con nected to theenlarged portion 12 of each sector to cooperate with the corresponding.

is braced to said support 9 by rods 15 extending from the bearing 14 tothe support. The displacement of either plate 6 or 7 on its hinge isindicated bythe scales on the portions 10 and 11 of the support v9, theangle indicated by said scales being formed by either of the plates withthe plane passing through the axis of the hinge and the zero division ofsaid scales. The arcuate edge of the plates 6 and 7 is divided intodegrees to read to the zero of said scales being on the axis of thehinge. Each plate has an arcuated bridge 16 concentric with the arcuatededge of the plate. Each bridge constitutes a guide for a vernier 17cooperating with the corresponding scale. Each of the verniers 17 hasextensions 18 at each end thereof which engage the arcuated edge of thecorresponding plate. sions form additional guides forthe verniers andinsure a more exact reading.

A hand plate 19 cooperates-with the plates 6 and 7. Said hand plate isin the shape of a circular segment having a handle 20 for These extenfacilitating the manipulation thereof. The.

concave edge of thesegment is subdivided At zero of the; scale, whichlies in close proximity to the end of the plate, there is a pointer 21ceninto degrees to read to 30.

tral with the zero divisionand forwhich there are niches 22 in theextensions 18 of the verniers 17. An arcuated bridge 23 is provided onthe hand plate 19 to be concentric with the concave edge of the handplate. This bridge constitutes a guide for a vernier 2%, which vernierhas a pointer at its zero division also adapted to enter the nicheprovided in theextension 18 of the verniers 17 (see Fig. 5).

To=find the altitude of places at the time ofobservation, determine theapparent alti-..

tudeof sun at any hour of the day and correct it for true latitude, alsonote the apparent time of observation. Set the plates 6 and 7 to thehour angle of observation. On plate 7 set the Vernier to the polardistance of the day and hour, taking the declination from the nauticalalmanac. Set the vernier on hand plate 19 to the observedcoaltitude ofthe sun corrected. Place the pointer of the vernier 24 on the hand plateinto a niche of the extension of thevernier on the plate 7, thenv movethevernier on plate 6 to bring t-heniche of theproper extension thereofinto engagement with the pointer. of thehand plate. The angle readon'plate (5 Will be the co-latitude, and this subtracted from 90 givesthe latitude of place at the time of observation.

Thelatitude may also be=deterinined in theufollowing manner. Take thecompass azimuth of the sun and correct for error to get the true bearingof the sun. Setplates 6 and 7 to this angle. Place the Vernier 17 onplate 6 to the co-altitude of sun corrected. For this purpose observetheapparent altitude of the sun and make the necessary corrections toget the-correct altitude. Move the Vernier 2i on the hand plate 19 toexpress the -polar distance for the day and hour, takingthe declinationof the sun from the nautical, almanac. of the hand plate into a niche ofan extension 18 of the vernier 17 on the plate 6, then move thevernier17 on plate 7 and bring the proper niche of an extension 18 intoengagement with a pointer 25 of the Vernier 2s onth'e hand plate. Theco-latitude is then found on the plate 7, which subtracted from 90 willgive the latitude.

Knowing the time of sunrise, the hours, minutes and seconds of time arechanged to degrees, minutes and .seconds of arc. derived degrees,minutesandseconds of arc are set on plate 7 by means of the vernier 17.Then the declination of sun for day and hour is taken from a nauticalalmanac and thisis set on plate 6. Theplates 6 and 7 are then moved toet5 on the support so that the angle includedby the two plates is 90.The pointer '21 of the hand plate 19 is then brought into a niche of anextension 18-of either of the verniers 17. The vernier 2% on the handplate is then moved to bring thep'ointer 25 thereof into the niche ofthe Place the pointer 21' The of sun being indicated on plate 6. TheYernier on hand plate 19 is then set to the con-.

verted time of sunrise. By placing the pointer 21 of hand. plate. into anichepf the extension 18 of a Vernier. and. moving the other plate onits hinge to bring the=correspending niche of the extension intoengagement with the pointer 25 of the vernier 24 the included angle madebytheplates 6 and 7 will be the lfii-itudeflt-1116 611116 ofobservation. It the true bearing of the sun is known at sunrise, onesetting will give the latitude angle.

When the sun is on the meridian, suppose the latitudeis 30, thedeclination 20, and

the altitude.80, then to co-latitude .villbe Polar distance 90 minus 20equals, co-altitude i90= 90.minus 30. equals 60.

minus equals 10".. From theabove 60 plus 20 equals 80, which will be thegreat est altitudeat noon. The =co-altitudebeing 10, 60 plus 10 equals70, which is equal to the polar distance. 7

So bothv plates. 6. r and will lieflat, that is, in .the sameplane,which is shown in the drawings; and this will be true in any latitude atnoon.

1 claim:

1. A nautical. instrument ,comprisinga pairof relativelymovable plates.adapted to form a dihedral. angle, means. for indicating the angularrelation of ,theiplates, each. of.

said plates having divisions to indicate angles thereupon of which onesideis the edge 0t the.angle, and means for: indicating the angularrelation between any two divi-- sions of the two plates.

2. A nautical instrument comprising apair of hinged plates each havingdivisions to indicate angles thereupon of .Which one side is the axis ofthe hinge, a carrierfor the plateshaving means for indicating theangular relation of the plates, .anda; member for. indicatingtheangularrelation between any two divisions of the two plates.

3. A nautical instrument comprising .a pair of hinged circular sectorseach'having divisions for indicating angles thereupon of which angles.onewsi'de is the axis of the hinge, a carrier forthe.sectorshavingmeans for. indicating the angular relation between the sectors, and amember fonindicatingv the angulararelation between any two div-i sionsof the two sectors.

4. A nautical lnstrument comprisinga pair of hinged circular sectorseach having divisions at the curved edge thereof for indicating anglesof which one side is the axis of the hinge, a carrier engaging the pivotof the sectors hinge, said carrier having divi sions for indicating theangular relation between the sectors, and a member for indicating theangular relation between any two divisions of the two sectors.

5. A nautical instrument comprising a support, a bolt projecting fromsaid support, a pair of circular sectors hinged to the bolt on a radialline, said support having circular slots the center of which is-in theaxis of the bolt, each of said sectors having means engaging the slots,said support having divisions at the slot for indicating the angularrelation between the sectors, each of said sectors having divisions forindicating angles thereupon of which one side is in the axis of thebolt, and a plate having means for indicating angles thereupon forindicating the angular relation between any two divisions of the twosectors.

6. A nautical instrument comprising a pair of hinged plates each havingdivisions to indicate angles thereupon of which one side is in the axisof the hinge, a support for the plates having means for indicating theangular relation between the hinged plates, and a plate having a fixedmember and a movable member for indicating the angular relation betweenany two divisions of the two plates.

7. A nautical instrument comprising a support, a bolt projecting atright angles to the support, a pair of circular sectors hinged to thebolt on their radial lines, said sectors having means engaging thesupport, said support having divisions for indicating the angularrelation of the sectors, a movable member on each sector for indicatingangles thereupon of which one side is in the axis of the bolt, acircular segment having a fixed member adapted to engage either of themovable members on the sector, and a movable member on said circularsegment for indicating angles thereupon between the fixed and themovable member, said movable member adapted to engage either of themovable members on the sector whereby the angular relation between saidmovable members and the sector may be determined.

8. A nautical instrument comprising a pair of hinged circular sectors, asupport for said sectors having means for indicating the angularrelation between the sectors, a movable member on each of said sectorsfor indicating angles thereupon of which one side is in the axis of thehinge, a circular segment having a fixed member adapted to engage eitherof the movable members of the sector, and a movable member on saidcircular segment for indicating angles thereupon of which one side isthe fixed member of said segment and the other side the movable member,said movable member being adapted to engage either of the movablemembers of the sectors whereby the angular relation between the movablemem bers on the sectors may be determined.

9. A nautical instrument comprising a support, a pair of hinged circularsectors secured to the support with the axis of the hinge perpendicularto said support, angular divisions 011 said sectors, movable vernierscooperating with the angular divisions for reading angles thereupon, oneside of which angles is in the axis of the hinge, said support having anarcuated groove the center of curvature of which groove is in the axisof the sectors hinge, a vernier associated with each sector and inengagement with the groove, angular divisions on the support disposed tocooperate with the lastmentioned verniers whereby the angular relationbetween the sectors may be read, a circular segment having angulardivisions thereupon, a fixed pointer on said segment extending from thezero division on said segment, and a vernier movable on said circularsegment for reading the angular divisions on said segment, said vernierhaving a pointer extending from the division of the vernier, saidverniers on the sectors having means for receiving the pointer of thesegment and the vernier thereupon whereby the angular relation betweenthe verniers on the sectors may be determined.

GEORGE KOFFSKEY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. G.

